WARNER ROBINS, Ga. — At 17 years old, A Houston County student has become the first in the state to complete the dual achievement program at Central Georgia Technical College. The program is an alternative to high school, students complete two technical certificates of credit, a diploma, or an associate's degree and finish their remaining high school credits through the school's academy.
Aurmoni Robertson completed two years of traditional high school, but changing his path to "hands-on" learning sparked a love for welding.
"I was able to focus here because this is what I want to chase after," he said.
The Central Georgia Technical College Dual Achievement Program is for students like Aurmoni who off track or lost interest in traditional high school learning were.
"Not focusing, not really comprehending well," he said.
In just 15 weeks, Robertson completed his high school diploma and earned three technical certificates in welding making him the first in the state to complete the program, also making CGTC the first college in the Technical College System of Georgia to award a high school diploma.
"I was determined to make sure he gets up every morning, be here on time, because after he said he wanted to do this, I wanted to make sure it was something he wanted to do,” his grandmother Valory Stevens said.
He says his grandmother is one of the two women who gave him an extra push.
"He struggled a lot in high school and when I heard this commercial on TV about the VECTR Center and the career center and Central Georgia Tech helping kids that won’t have to take all those test and stuff I called Ms. Weston and talked to her about it," she said.
The second woman is Lakeitha Weston.
"We want the focus to be about him, this is his moment. Aurmoni was able to accomplish something that some adults are not able to," Weston said.
As the executive director and principal of Central Georgia Tech's program... she knows the importance of being a hub for non-traditional students.
"What has happened in the past, if a student drops out of high school, they count as a dropout for that school, if they decide they want to go and receive their GED or high school equivalency. Well, now, if those students have 6 core credits, they can enroll in the dual achievement program and actually receive their high school diploma," Weston explained.
"My advice would be for more hands-on people to come to the DAP program," Robertson.
Now that he's finished, Robertson wants to go work on a pipeline in Texas.
If you want more information on the program, you can contact Central Georgia Technical College.